On this day
Revisit the news, notable people, and historical moments connected to this date.
In 2003, the world population was approximately 6,420,361,634 people[†]
2003Cooper Hoffman, American actor[†]
Cooper Hoffman is an American actor. The son of actor Philip Seymour Hoffman, he made his acting debut with a leading role in Paul Thomas Anderson's coming-of-age film Licorice Pizza (2021) for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe Award. He has since portrayed Dick Ebersol in the comedy-drama Saturday Night (2024) and made his stage debut in an Off-Broadway production of Sam Shepard's tragedy play Curse of the Starving Class (2025).
2003Iraq War: The United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Poland begin an invasion of Iraq.[†]
The Iraq War, also referred to as the Second Gulf War, was a prolonged conflict in Iraq lasting from 2003 to 2011. It began with the invasion by a United States-led coalition, which resulted in the overthrow of the Ba'athist government of Saddam Hussein. The conflict persisted as an insurgency arose against coalition forces and the newly established Iraqi government. US forces were officially withdrawn in 2011. In 2014, the US became re-engaged in Iraq, leading a new coalition under Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve, as the conflict evolved into the ongoing Islamic State insurgency.
Portrait 1080 × 1920 PNG · created on your device
Britain's Trade and Industry Sec Patricia Hewitt rules that four of five potential buyers of supermarket chain Safeway will have to submit proposals to further antitrust scrutiny; fifth bidder is given clearance to proceed with offer; refers to Competition Commission proposals by Tesco, J Sainsbury and Asda, unit of Wal-Mart Stores; also refers bid by William Morrison Supermarkets, only one to make formal offer for Safeway so far; ruling is setback to William Morrison, which had hoped that its smaller size would win it early antitrust clearance and give it edge over rivals (M)
In Eyes of the Government, A Particularly Bold Fraud The Justice Department and the S.E.C say that fraud at HealthSouth, the health care company run by Richard M. Scrushy, went on for more than 15 years, complete with ''family meetings'' to create records to fool the auditors, who seem never to have caught on that something was amiss. While most accounting fraud cases filed by the S.E.C. come months or even years after errors are disclosed, the public had virtually no idea of the scope of this case until it was filed. Floyd Norris: Market Place. [Page C4.]
World Business Briefing: Germany: Bank Chairman Resigns*
World Business Briefing: Ireland: Technology Lo
Big Hospital Fraud Case The nation's largest chain of rehabilitation hospitals, HealthSouth, was accused of sweeping accounting fraud in a case that regulators said might rival wrongdoing at Enron and WorldCom. PAGE C1 Oil Drilling Plan Defeated The Senate narrowly voted against a proposal to drill for oil in the Alaskan wildlife refuge, dealing a crippling blow to the central element of the Bush administration's energy plan. PAGE A29
Viacom president Mel Karmazin is expected to sign new contract in next several days to remain at Viacom for at least two more years; contract will replace current deal, which is scheduled to expire at end of year; photo (M)
European Commission begins legal proceeding to challenge German law that protects Volkswagen AG from hostile takeover; move sets stage for fight between Germany and much of rest of Europe; German government says it still believes that its protective law conforms to European Union statutes; photo (M)
Architect Barbara Bestor comments on converting abandoned Los Angeles-area cabin into budget house for herself and young daughters, interview; photos (M)
Disruptions of oil supplies and shipments from Persian Gulf appear to have already begun as US military completes its plans to invade Iraq; exports from Iraq under United Nations oil-for-food program dwindle to trickle after UN Sec Gen Kofi Annan suspends program within Iraq; Kuwait Petroleum Corp says some oil tankers scheduled to arrive at other Middle Eastn countries are refusing to enter Persian Gulf because of security concerns; oil for May delivery drops to $29.36 per barrel on New York Mercantile Exchange, while oil for April delivery falls $1.79, to $29.88 per barrel; price of oil has fallen 21 percent his week; graph; chart; photo (M)
Iraqi television broadcasts speech by defiant Saddam Hussein, few hours after first blasts on Baghdad; he exhorts his people to 'draw your swords' against invaders; refers to United States government as 'criminals' and 'Zionists' and to Pres Bush as 'criminal little Bush' and 'Junior Bush'; it is unclear whether address was recorded previously; broadcast comes in lull after strike on city, just before dawn there; exploding bombs are answered by anti-aircraft fire and what sounds like machine-gun fire; cars race over highway, heading away from city in apparent attempt to escape American fire; as war nears, Iraqis make desperate appeals for information about when war would begin; in many of these questions lurk certain apprehension about war that might unseat Hussein; what is not known is how widespread these feelings are compared with Iraqis who support Hussein or who favor his demise but not by America, which is widely criticized in Iraq and in many places loathed for policies that are seen as hostile to Arabs; also as war nears, extraordinary friendliness with which Iraqis greet visitors, especially from US and Britain, is offset by isolated incidents that confirm that for some Iraqis, America is truly 'Great Satan,' as Hussein calls it; some Iraqis make menacing gestures and threats and brandish rifles; photo (L)
Atty Gen John Ashcroft reverses course in pursuit of death penalty against mentally retarded Brooklyn man Christopher Lloyd McMillian, who is on trial on murder charges in Binghamton, NY (M)